An attorney for Julian White, placed on paid administrative leave shortly after Champion's death, said White worked to root out hazing over 22 years as director.

"Dr. White remains disappointed that barely 48 hours after meeting with band members that Robert Champion was killed in an extreme, horrific and illegal act of bullying," White's attorney, Chuck Hobbs, said in a statement.

The death prompted the university board of trustees to approve an anti-hazing plan that includes an independent panel of experts to investigate.

"We are vigorously working to eradicate hazing from FAMU and doing everything within our power to ensure an incident like this never happens again," President James H. Ammons and Solomon Badger, chairman of the trustees, said in a statement issued Wednesday. "Our hearts and our prayers are with the Champion family and the extended FAMU family as we all continue to deal with this tragedy."

Lamar said Champion's death was "nothing short of an American tragedy."

"No one could have expected that his college experience would include being pummeled to death, an event that some, early on, mistakenly called a rite of passage," he said.